Article holding and dispensing device

ABSTRACT

An article holding and dispensing device for use in vending machines or the like is disclosed. A plurality of elements are mounted in alignment on a continuous loop of a conveyor such that articles to be held and dispensed are held between adjacent elements on the lower portion of the continuous loop for individual delivery upon stepwise actuation of the conveyor. Each element has a rearwardly extending article engaging means such as a resilient pointed member adapted to cooperate with the next following element to hold an article therebetween until the element reaches a delivery position, whereupon the element moves away from the following element and the article held therebetween falls away for delivery.

United States Patent [191 Wittern et al.

1 1 ARTICLE HOLDING AND DISPENSING DEVICE [75] Inventors: Francis A. Wittern, Des Moines;

Arthur N. Wirstlin, Altoona, both of Iowa [73] Assignee: Fawn Engineering Corp., Des

' Moines, Iowa 22 Filed: Feb. 17, 1972 21' Appl. No.: 227,568

[52] US. Cl 221/85, 198/179, 221/218 [51] Int. Cl. G071 11/00 [58] Field of Search 221/84, 85, 217, 218, 219;

[5 6] 7 References Cited [4 1 Mar. 19, 1974 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 350.103 6/1931 Great Britain 198/180 Primary ExaminerStanley H. Tollberg Assistant Examinem-I-I. Grant Skaggs, Jr.

.Attorney, Agent, or Firml-lenderson & Strom [57] ABSTRACT An article holding and dispensing device for use in vending machines or the like is disclosed. A plurality of elements are mounted in alignment on a continuous loop of a conveyor such that articles to be held and dispensed are held between adjacent elements on the lower portion of the continuous loop for individual delivery upon stepwise actuation of the conveyor. Each element has a rearwardly extending article engaging means such as a resilient pointed member adapted to cooperate with the next following element to hold an article therebetween until the element reaches a delivery position, whereupon the element moves away from the following element and the article held therebetween falls away for delivery.

1 Claim, 7 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 237.074 1/1881 Baldwin 198/179 2.430.878 11/1947 Kimball 198/179 463.370 11/1891 Hunter 198/179 2,640,584 6/1953 Robb et a1. 198/179 2,298,955 10/1942 Mason et al. 221/218 ARTICLE HOLDING A'ND DISPENSING DEN-ICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to article holdingand dispensing devices of the type used in certain kinds of vending machines or in manufacturing operations where an article or part is periodically delivered to a work station.

In the former, goods such as potato chip packages are loaded onto various types of holding means for conveyance to a delivery position. The packages advance stepwise, generally in response to a coin receiving means, and are individually delivered as is well known in the art. One method of effecting this type of operation has been to use a series of rearwardly facing L-shaped hooks carried by an endless belt with a portion of the hook extending through an opening in the package. At the delivery position, the L-shaped hook swings upward such that the package falls by gravity for delivery.

In manufacturing operations, parts for assembly may be loaded on a conveyor and delivered individually upon actuation of an advancing means by the assembler.

Many types of holding and dispensing means for the above purposes are known in the art, and in most cases the prior art devices are quite satisfactory. However, there has been a need for an improvedv article holding and dispensing means that is simple, effective, reliable, and easy to load. Such a device is provided by the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, an article holding and dispensing device is provided which is suitable for use in vending machines, manufacturing operations, and any other environment where articles are to be held and individually delivered in response to an appropriate signal.

The device of this invention includes a plurality of elements aligned along the length of an endless loop of a suitable conveyor means. The elements are positioned such that articles or packages to be held and dispensed are carried between adjacent elements on the lower side of the loop. It should be pointed out here that the means for advancing the loop stepwise is not considered to be part of this invention, andany number of switching mechanisms, coin-operated and otherwise, are available which can be utilized in the operation of a machine incorporating the article holding and dispensing device of this invention.

The elements attached to the conveyor loop include a rearward portion having an article engaging means and a forward portion which cooperates with the article engaging means of the next forward element to hold an article or package therebetween. Upon advancement to the delivery position, an element moves away from the following element, due to the arrangement of elements on a conveyor loop disposed over suitable sprockets or the like such that as an element reaches the sprocket and starts moving thereover it swings away from the following element releasing the article or package held therebetween.

The elements attached to the conveyor loop include shaped lower surfaces adapted to facilitate loading of packages between adjacent elements, and also include an article engaging means on the rearward portion thereof adapted to hold an article or package by a combination of friction and the action of a resilient pointed tip on the article engaging means.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved article holding and dispensing means.

It is a further object to provide a novel element for use in an article holding and dispensing means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the article holding and dispensing device according to this invention, including the operation thereof, will be given by reference to the several views of the drawings.

The article holding and dispensing device is shown generally as 10 in FIGS. 6 and 7.

A series of elements 11 are attached to a chain 12 formed from links 33 which passes over a sprocket 13. The device 10 is not shown in its entirety in FIGS. 6 and 7, but the cut away portion is simply a continuation of the illustrated part with a sprocket (not shown) at the other end of the device such that the chain 12 forms a continuous loop having a top section 14 and a bottom portion 15 and having elements 11 attached along its lengthwith a small space between each element 11 for receiving and holding articles 16. The chain 12 and sprocket 13 comprise part of a conveyor means for the elements 11. It is apparent that only the elements on the bottom portion 15 of the chain 12 are loaded with articles 16.

Theelements 11 are illustrated in detail in FIGS. 1-5. Each element 11 includes a provision for fastening the element to the continuous loop of a conveyor means. The loop is shown as a chain 12, but may of course be something other than a chain. As shown, the elements 1 1 include holes 17 at the upper side thereof for fastening to the chain 12 (FIG. 1). Although not essential to the operation of the device, the holes are located nearer the rearward portion of the element 11 to enable the package 16 to be carried as far forward as possible for delivery to a dispensing position at the front of a housing or vending machine 18 as seen in FIG. 7.

It will be apparent that many variations could be made in the continuous loop of the conveyor and the means for fastening the elements 11 to the conveyor. For example, a belt or cable could readily be substituted for the chain 12, and any number of fastening devices could be utilized.

Each of the elements 11 includes a forward portion 19 including a surface 20 with an opening 21 centrally formed. The opening 21 may be formed by punching a tap 22 (FIGS. 1-4) out of a portion of the surface 20.

Each of the elements 11 also includes a rearward portion 23 including a surface 24 having a lower section 25 inclined inwardly and downwardly of the rearward surface 24 as best seen in FIG. 2.

An article engaging means 26 is fastened to the lower inclined section 25 by a rivet 27 (FIG. 2). The article engaging means 26 is a thin piece of spring steel which is tapered to a point (FIGS. 1, 3 and 5). The means 26 extends rearwardly of the rearward portion 23 in the same plane as the lower section 25 as best seen in FIG. 2.

The forward portion 19 of element 11 also includes a lower section 28 inclined inwardly and downwardly of the surface 20 as seen in FIG. 2.

The coacting relationship of adjacent elements 11 will now be described by reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. Elements are positioned on conveyor chain 12 such that the rearward surface 24 of one element is spaced from the forward surface 20 of the next following element (FIG. 6).

The device is loaded with packages 16 by inserting the tops 29 thereof upwardly between adjacent elements. The inclined lower surfaces of the forward and rearward portions serve to guide the tops of the packages and facilitate the loading operation.

As seen in the lower central part of FIG. 6, the article engaging means 26 may be flexed upon insertion of a package top 29, in which case the package top is held by the flexed article engaging means 26 urging the package top against the forward surface 20 of the following element. Alternatively, as seen in the lower right hand corner of FIG. 6, the article engaging means 26 may pierce the package top 29 and extend through the opening 21 in the next following element. The orientation of the article engaging means, and the sharp pointed shape thereof, result in piercing of the package top 29 when the package 16 is of a heavy nature, or when the package 16 is pulled downwardly.

In either case, the package 16 is released when the element reaches the delivery position shown at the left edge of FIGS. 6 or 7. Upon reaching the delivery position, the forward element 30 swings up and away from the following cooperating element 31 such that the package 32 falls by gravity. The package 32 will fall regardless of whether the top of package 32 was pierced by the article engaging means of element 30.

The operation of the device is largely apparent from the above description, but will be briefly outlined. The device 10 is loaded with packages 16 by insertion of the packages upwardly between adjacent elements 11 on the lower side of the continuous loop of a conveyor means. The device 10 may be enclosed in a housing or vending machine shown as 18 in FIG. 7, or may be positioned near a work station of an assembly operation, for example. In either case, the device 10 is operated by any prior art stepwise advancing means such that one package 16 is delivered to a dispensing position upon actuation of the stepwise actuating means. As

shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, adjacent elements separate away from one another at the delivery position such that the package held is dropped. The device of this invention is particularly adapted for use with vending machines for potato chip packages or the like, or with boxes, bubble-packs, etc. The device may be actuated by a coin-handling mechanism, or by other actuating means.

The preferred embodiment of the invention has been described, and numerous modifications and variations thereto will be suggested thereby which are within the scope of the invention, which is to be defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. An article holding and dispensing device for use in machines of the type adapted to hold a plurality of articles and dispense them individually upon actuation of an advancing means associated therewith comprising:

a conveyor means comprising a continuous loop having an upper section and a lower section; and

a plurality of elements attached to said continuous loop in aligned relationship along at least a portion of the lower section of the continuous loop, each of said elements including a forward portion and a rearward portion placed in fixed relationship with each other, with the rearward portion of each element positioned just forward of the forward portion of the element following;

the rearward portion of each element having an article engaging means extending rearwardly therefrom, and the forward portion of each element including means adapted to cooperate with the article engaging means of the element forward thereof to hold an article therebetween;

the said article engaging means being adapted, as its element moves from the lower section of the continuous loop toward the upper section thereof, to move away from the forward portion of the following element whereby an article held between the two elements is released:

the forward portion of each element including a flat surface with a central opening adapted to be disposed oppositely of the rearmost part of the article engaging means of the next forward element; each article engaging means extending rearwardly from each element comprising a piece of thin resilient material tapered toward the rear to a point, said article engaging means material adapted to extend through said central opening of the next forward element as said elements move along the said lower section, and adapted to move out of and separated from the said central opening as the elements move from the lower section toward the upper section. 

1. An article holding and dispensing device for use in machines of the type adapted to hold a plurality of articles and dispense them individually upon actuation of an advancing means associated therewith comprising: a conveyor means comprising a continuous loop having an upper section and a lower section; and a plurality of elements attached to said continuous loop in aligned relationship along at least a portion of the lower section of the continuous loop, each of said elements including a forward portion and a rearward portion placed in fixed relationship with each other, with the rearward portion of each element positioned just forward of the forward portion of the element following; the rearward portion of eaCh element having an article engaging means extending rearwardly therefrom, and the forward portion of each element including means adapted to cooperate with the article engaging means of the element forward thereof to hold an article therebetween; the said article engaging means being adapted, as its element moves from the lower section of the continuous loop toward the upper section thereof, to move away from the forward portion of the following element whereby an article held between the two elements is released: the forward portion of each element including a flat surface with a central opening adapted to be disposed oppositely of the rearmost part of the article engaging means of the next forward element; each article engaging means extending rearwardly from each element comprising a piece of thin resilient material tapered toward the rear to a point, said article engaging means material adapted to extend through said central opening of the next forward element as said elements move along the said lower section, and adapted to move out of and separated from the said central opening as the elements move from the lower section toward the upper section. 